Caught
by BaSingTei
Summary: Korra walks in on a drunk Mako. Takes place right after "Reunion". (Makorra) Rated Teen - WC 1,448 One Shot


Mako missed the burn of quality bourbon. The way the bold taste swirled on his tongue. The way it dripped down his throat like liquid cinnamon and turned his stomach into a pool of warmth. One glass had always been enough to get him buzzed. He never drank much. But tonight was different.

Tonight, Korra was in republic city too and he had just spent the day with her, Asami, and Prince Wu. His ego was a little sore as were his feelings. How could she not know what to say to him? How could she not have written even a simple hello for three years and talked to Asami about something so personal, even after all they had been through? It burned him more than the bourbon.

Three glasses later and this thoughts were nasty and selfish. By the fourth glass he was listing everything in his head that he had done wrong today and everything he should have said. How he was way too angry with her. How her hair looked so cute. How he had missed opportunities to congratulate her on her health. How strong she looked. How she carried herself differently. How thoughtful she was. Mature in a sense. And how he could have said all of this to her at any time and didn't. He was such a chicken. And so not over her.

The fifth glass was being poured when a nock came at his door. He sighed and wanted Wu to just leave him alone for one night. Mako stood and faltered, steadying himself by the back of the chair. The knock came again and he tried to yell "I'm coming" but all that came out was a loud grunt of disapproval.

He stumbled his way to the door and opened, closing his eyes to shake the vertigo.

"Wu, go home." He mumbled and leaned against the doorframe. Silence should have told him it wasn't Wu. But he was so inebriated he could only know for sure when he heard her voice clear as a fall day.

"Mako? Are… Are you drunk?"

He opened his eyes and blushed. Korra was very close to his face and he hadn't been expecting to see here inches from his nose. Before he could respond she sniffed and waved her hand over her nose.

"Whoa! No firebending for you tonight. You're wasted." She placed a hand on his shoulder and he looked to her hand in slow motion.

"Mako you never drink, what's wrong? Or is this something you do now?"

He followed her hand to her wrist to her arm and back to her face. He didn't know how to respond to the disappointment in her voice. He started to sweat. He was really taken.

"I uh… I don't think you should be here. Not right now." He said as he slid down the doorframe.

"Whoa officer." She said and grabbed his arm.

"Let me take you to bed."

"Korra, you don't have to-"

"Just work with me."

He reluctantly did and walked inside with her. She tried to lead him to the bedroom and she pulled away.

"Couch."

She nodded and walked him over to the couch and set him down, letting him flop rather ungracefully. She shook her head and went to close the front door. On her way to the couch she picked up the almost empty bottle he had been nursing all night.

"Mako, you're going to set sick if you keep drinking like this."

He sighed and rolled his head to the side.

"It's just tonight. I don't normally do this."

She set the bottle down and sat next to him on the couch, letting silence overtake them. Mako was struggling to breathe and his entire body felt like it was 120 degrees. He over did it. He was poisoning himself.

"Why are you here?" He asked bluntly and she looked down. He realized his phrasing was rude.

"Sorry, I mean what did you come over for? Are you okay?"

"I didn't like today." she said softly and let the words hung in the air.

"Oh…" he said, not really knowing what to say.

"I mean, the arguing and getting on each other's nerves part."

"Oh, okay. Yeah, I'm sorry too." He said softly.

"I'm really sorry I didn't write. I had so many conflicted feelings and I didn't know how to direct them. I still do." She says and placed an hand on his shoulder. "But that doesn't mean I didn't miss any of you."

"Korra… I know you needed your space but honestly it drove me crazy not knowing how you were doing. I know the way we left things off was complicated and awkward but I still missed you and I wanted to know how you were doing. I had to stop myself from coming down there so many times. I didn't want to waste a trip just to make you upset. But in all honestly it was… what you did was really..." He said and looked down. He felt so insecure and naked in front of her right now, letting go everything he was thinking but his mouth just wouldn't stop.

Korra took his hand from his lap.

"I'm sorry. I know it's a pat phrase but I don't know what else to say."

He was feeling so emotional and in the back of his mind he swore to never drink this much again but his hands came up to cut her face. She watched as his eyes focused on her like she was his beacon of sobriety. His thumb stroked her cheek and he studied her for a while, feeling his head swirl but a clear question in his mind kept resurfacing.

"Did you mean it?"

"Mean what?"

He leaned closer.

"Did you mean always."

Her cyan orbs shimmered in the dim light and she swallowed.

"I did. I meant always. I still do. I still love y-"

She didn't get to finish her confession because his lips covered hers in the first kiss they've shared in years. She wasn't hesitant and loved the want his liquor stained lips burned hers and the taste was enough to get drunk off of. Memories were like a hurricane in her head and she was reliving every kiss they had ever shared in this one, unplanned event. Her arms came up to his neck and pulled him to her. She hadn't anticipated his weight to come with him, laying her flat on her back with his drunken body on top. He broke their kiss and raised himself up off her, putting each hand on either side of her head and hovering over her. They were both blushing and he was panting, having trouble breathing. She had the smallest smile on her face; a little more than happy that he kissed her in his most open and insecure state she had ever seen him.

"Sorry… I just missed you. I missed your eyes, I missed the way you smile when you've won an argument. I missed the way you're cranky in the morning. I missed everything. And I feel so overwhelmed right now because now you're here and I don't have to miss you but I feel like there is still something blocking me from actually accepting that you are here-

She cut him off with a kiss of her own and pulled him down onto her again. Her tongue sampled his lips and he wouldn't deny her, their kiss turning into a sloppy drunken mess very quickly. She pulled away when she couldn't breathe and he smiled this time.

"I miss you too. I dreamed about you. I wanted to write - I started so many letters but I just ended up burning them in my hands and sweeping the ashes off the desk. But I am here now. So can we just…" She said with her hand on his chest and gripped his shirt.

"I don't think we should. We should wait until I am level headed. I want to remember every detail. Is that okay?"

"Depends, can you wait until morning?"

"Are you asking to spend the night?"

"Yeah. I miss sleeping with you. I miss having you next to me when I wake up from a nightmare."

He nodded and sat up.

"Okay. I'll hold you tonight and make you rock in the morning."

Korra laughed and stood up, taking his arm and leading him to the bedroom.

"I will be surprised if you even remember any of this, let alone why I will be in your bed."

"We'll see." He said and stole another kiss before she pushed him through his bedroom door.


End file.
